Iranian carrier Mahan Air, which plans to launch services between its base in Tehran to Banja Luka on July 21, has been issued permits by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate for Civil Aviation to commence the flights. The Directorate noted that Mahan Air's primary purpose will be to shuttle Chinese tour groups to Banja Luka. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of only four European countries, along with neighbouring Serbia, which does not require entry visas for Chinese passport holders. However, tickets for the Tehran - Banja Luka service can also be purchased freely online through Mahan Air's website, with return economy class tickets hovering at around 250 euros and business class fares at 1.000 euros.
As previously reported, Mahan Air will operate two weekly flights between the two cities, each Friday and Sunday, with a 202-seat Airbus A310-300 aircraft. The airline maintains scheduled flights to some fifty destinations including four in China - Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Without naming the Iranian carrier, Banja Luka Airport's operator, Aerodromi Republike Srpske, said, "Flights will operate from a number of Chinese cities several times per week. We expect a big increase in the number of Chinese visitors to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, because these countries have a visa-free regime with China". However, it should be noted that Montenegro does not offer Chinese passport-holders visa free entry, as incorrectly stated by the airport operator.
The privately owned Mahan Air is Iran's second largest carrier, behind state-owned Iran Air The new service will mark the resumption of intercontinental flights to Banja Luka after seven years. In 2012, the US-registered Gryphon Airlines ran several charter flights from Kuwait to Bosnia and Herzegovina's second largest city with a Boeing 767-200 aircraft leased from Thailand's Jet Asia Airways. Banja Luka Airport previously said it was in talks over the introduction of a new intercontinental service, to Africa. Its General Manager, Zoran Injac, noted, "We have plans to introduce one new route to Africa, however, it is too early to give any details". The airport is looking to extend its portfolio of destinations following its revival last October, when Ryanair introduced flights from Charleroi, Memmingen and Stockholm Skavsta.
Flight details for Mahan Air's Tehran - Banja Luka service can be found here.
Flight details for Mahan Air's Tehran - Banja Luka service can be found here.
Maribor Airport: We will become the regional centre for Chinese tourists with numerous flights.
ReplyDeleteBanja Luka Airport: Hold my beer
Haha god one
DeleteCouldn't they have found a better partner?
ReplyDeleteI am sure the Chinese initiated this as they are quite cozy with the Iranians. Plus it's also helping Iran get some additional business to overcome the sanctions. It's a win win situation.
DeleteHad the Chinese initiated it they would get a Chinese airline to operate the flights. One thing Chinese do is never give jobs they can do to others. Even roads and bridges that are being built around the world through Chinese loans are built by Chinese construction companies and construction workers.
Deletelove how BNX is trying to present that these flights from China will be nonstop, which they aren't
ReplyDeleteYes. And they should have researched that Chinese need visas to enter Montenegro.
DeleteMahan Air was recently banned from flying to Germany and France. But they did launch Tehran - Caracas last month.
ReplyDeleteBecause of US pressure not because of safety.
DeleteThey make money with charters ...
ReplyDeleteWe should prohibit charters !
Chartes are evil .
Whaaat!?!?
ReplyDeleteWow when was the last time a passenger A310 landed somewhere in ex-Yu.
ReplyDeleteLast year in Belgrade but it was shortly after upgraded to Airbus 340-300.
DeleteTrue forgot about that
DeleteStory of the year so far.
ReplyDeleteEx-Yu Aviation ruined BNX's plans to keep the fact that an Iranian airline is the operator quiet :D
ReplyDeleteYes it almost seems they are embarrassed to say.
DeleteWhat are the other two European countries that don't require visas for Chinese?
ReplyDeleteSan Marino and Belarus.
DeleteHaha San Marino. Only problem is you can't get there without entering Italy.
DeleteAre the fares cheaper than say with Turkish Airlines from Sarajevo to Tehran via Istanbul?
ReplyDeleteIt is but it depends on the date. Tickets are not fixed.
DeleteGood news for spotters.
ReplyDeleteThis is so fishy
ReplyDeleteWishing BHX all the very best. The once "sleepy" airport is growing nicely with a mix of LCC, charter and medium-haul traffic.
ReplyDeleteLets hope this route will also last longer. Serbia was pretty unlucky with China.
Anyone have any photos of the cabins on Mahan Airs A310?
ReplyDeleteGo to " Google Images " ...
DeleteType in " mahan air a310 cabins " .
Very interesting development. So Banja Luka gets Chinese tourists AND flights to Tehran.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
ReplyDeleteStory of the year so far.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely the weirdest one of the year.
DeleteHow many additional passengers could this generate?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Republika Srpska for thinking outside the box. I am curious what kind of route these tourists will take?
ReplyDeleteTHR-BNX-CRO-ITA/SLO OW
DeleteWill this be seasonal or year round?
ReplyDeleteThe return fare is fantastic actually. Great opportunity to visit Iran.
ReplyDeleteIf this materialize I will visit Banja Luka
Delete(never been there) because than I want to visit Iran. I'm not joking. Great move!
Unless you are a woman.
DeleteHAHAHAHAH Anon 14.01 sorry, you confused Iran with Saudi Arabia.
DeleteNo I did not.
DeleteIt is even worse for women in Iran
I bet you have never been to either country.
DeleteDon't need to have. We live in the 21st century and we can easily get informed about pretty much everything that is going on our planet.
DeleteYou should really try informing yourself.
Well this was unexpected
ReplyDeleteYou can say thay again. Really odd.
DeleteMahan should do charters for Chinese tourists to Belgrade !
ReplyDeleteOr even to Nis or Kraljevo .
Belgrade Airport stopped offering services to Mahan when they were blaclisted by US. This was well before visas were reintroduced for Iranians
DeleteThat was when Vinci took over Belgrade airport.
DeleteBut Nis and Kraljevo are not owned by Vinci and flights would be possible .
Look Mahan does even fly to Barcelona, Rome and Milan despite sanctions.
Kraljevo can bearly handle an A320 without restrictions.
DeleteAir Serbia should codeshare with Mahan on Banja Luka-Tehran and Mahan with Air Serbia on Banja Luka-Belgrade !
ReplyDeleteVinci may forbid Mahan to land in Belgrade but they can not hinder Air Serbia to codeshare with them .
Maybe the Americans would ban JU flights to JFK if they codeshared with an Iranian airline under sanctions by the US.
DeleteWhy would they? LH codeshares with IR.
DeleteOnly because of a codeshare ?
DeleteThis would be a precedent .
No Anon 14:03, LH does not codeshare with IR.
DeleteThe Mahan Air website is offering connecting flights from Banja Luka (via Tehran) to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore... Waiting time in Tehran is usually short. Price can be good. Check for yourself.
ReplyDeleteDelhi too.
DeleteBut service it's unreliable and planned are very old.
DeleteIt's good to see a new, small regional player in the area. BNX is now a nice mix of traffic ranging from low cost to intercontinental ones.
ReplyDeleteFrom Teheran to Brussels and from Dublin to Berlin.
Well done BNX!!
+1
DeleteFR should open a BNX base and have W flights out of there to include SJJ as well. I am sure some destinations like Berlin or Brussels could work even with Sarajevo's idiotic fees.
ReplyDeleteLast year about 600k tourists visited Sarajevo alone while about 350k visited RS, not Banja Luka (about 80k by the way), the entire entity.
ReplyDeleteBNX's time is only coming right now.
ReplyDeleteTalking of BNX:
ReplyDelete'Aerodrom Banjaluka zabeležio je 12.460 putnika u aprilu i to je rekord ovog aerodroma...'
'Tako je u ovom periodu bilo 39.065 putnika, dok ih je u celoj prošloj godini bilo nešto više od 36.000...'
https://www.blic.rs/vesti/republika-srpska/obara-rekord-kroz-banjalucki-aerodrom-u-aprilu-proslo-12460-putnika/f5ttm4g
Old news
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2019/05/banja-luka-maintains-growth-momentum.html
Do Bosnian passports need visas to enter Iran?
ReplyDeleteYes
Delete